American Craft Beer’s Pre-4th of July Rumor Mill

American Craft Beer|June 29th, 2016|

Yikes, the 4^th of July is just days away… and clearly nothing is slowing down anytime soon. But no worries, Rumor Mill is always on the case, keeping you plugged in to all the craft beer news that matters. Plus we’ve an all-important update on what we’ve been drinking lately and you absolutely don’t want to miss that.

George Washington Was All About Beer (Mount Vernon, VA) – As Commander of the Continental Army, George Washington proclaimed that every one of his troops would receive a quart of beer with his daily rations. He also had his own brewhouse on the grounds of his Mount Vernon estate and it’s still in existence today

Beer Fueled Revolution (Boston, MA) – During Colonial Times the American brewing industry was so well established that George Washington, Patrick Henry and other like-minded patriots, argued aggressively for a boycott of English beer imports. In fact, the “Boston Tea Party” almost became the “Boston Beer Party” (which we have to admit to liking much better).

Words To Drink By (Los Angeles, CA) – “”Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”

Benjamin Franklin – Founding Father & Renowned Imbiber

Lincoln Finds Beer Taxing (Washington, DC) In 1862 President Lincoln signed legislation to tax beer to help finance the government during the Civil War. Today, federal, state and local governments collect more than $48.5 billion in tax revenue from the beer industry {and we don’t expect that to go away any time soon}.

Draft Beer Leads To Drafting The Declaration Of Independence (Philadelphia, PA) – Thomas Jefferson was said to have composed the first draft of the Declaration of Independence over a cold draft at the Indian Queen tavern in Philadelphia.

What We’ve Been Drinking Lately (Washington, DC) – We’d like to thank all the breweries who ship us beer from time to time. It’s always great to sample the brews that we write about and helps to give us a better feel for what’s happening out there. And last night we hit up something terrific, that we recently received from Brewery Ommegang. Brewed in tribute, and to raise awareness for local hop farmers breathing life back into the state’s hop industry, 2016’s Hopstate NY is a 5.6% ABV American Amber Ale brewed with rye, and healthy amount of hops exclusively sourced from Empire State farmers.